Zoey's Story
by Miss FairyTales
Summary: Chase has a crush on a pretty cheerleader and it turns out she likes him too. What will happen when they start dating. Will she find out his big secret? Does she have any secrets of her own?
1. The Meeting

"Come on, Chase!" Bree nearly shouted as she removed her books from her locker. "Just ask her already! You need a partner, she doesn't have a partner. It can't be that difficult!"

"Yeah man. All you gotta do is ask her. Plus you've had a crush on her since, like, forever," Leo stated coolly. Chase looked across the hall at Zoey.

' _She's beautiful. She'll never want to be my partner. Especially not when Brett is her boyfriend,'_ he thought.

"Right. All I have to do is ask her," Chase said mockingly, "That's easier said than done. Even if I did ask her, there is a 90% chance she will say no." He closed his locker and stuffed a few books in his bag.

"That means you have a 10% chance she'll say yes," Leo said. Chase looked annoyingly at him.

"That's greater than 90, isn't it?" Adam asked. The others looked at him hopelessly. Leo patted him on the shoulder.

"No. It's not," Leo answered. Adam looked at him confused.

"Are you sure?" Adam once again asked. They all nodded. "Okay, anyway, Chase all you have to do is go over there and ask her." They all looked at Zoey who was talking to the rest of the cheer squad. Her green eyes were sparkling.

"I can't," Chase countered. Zoey caught his gaze. She smiled and waved at me, but he quickly looked away. A slight pink tint to his cheeks.

' _She would never say yes. Why go through all the trouble only to fail? The odds are stacked against me.'_

"Look, Chase, it's simple. You just go up to her. And ask her," Adam instructed. "Watch and learn." Adam left Leo, Bree, and Chase and ran over to the group of cheerleaders. From what Chase could see, Adam was talking to Zoey, and she was laughing.

"I don't believe it! He's actually talking to her!" Bree exclaimed as the three of them stared at Adam, dumbfounded. Adam suddenly pointed back at Chase. Zoey looked at what Adam was pointing at and smiled. She once again waved at him. This time, he waved back, a little embarrassed. Zoey nodded before Adam ran back to him and the others.

"Good news. She said she'll be your partner!" Adam announced proudly. He patted Chase on the back. "You're welcome!" They all stared at Adam, amazed.

"Thanks, Adam!" Chase exclaimed. "When will we start working on our project?" The bell rang and students started to head to their classes.

"Oh. Well, we didn't actually set a date, but she said to meet her by her locker at lunch," Adam responded before running off to class. "Sorry!"

"What!" Chase called after his brother.

"Bree and I should probably head to class, or we'll be late. Come on, Bree," Leo said. He and Bree left Chase at his locker. He closed it and zipped his bag shut. Chase was about to go to class when Zoey stopped him.

"You're Chase, right?" Zoey asked him.

' _Wow. She's even prettier up close.'_ He thought before he snapped back to attention.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm Chase. Nice to meet you," Chase greeted as he extended my hand. She took his offered hand and shook it.

"Well, we've already met. But, it's nice to meet you again, Chase," Zoey giggled as he blushed.

"Of course, sorry."

"We better get to chemistry class, huh?" She inquired while she smiled.

"Right. We have chemistry together! I totally forgot about that too!" Chase laughed as they headed up the stairs together.

"Well we are working on the project together," Zoey laughed with him as they walked through the halls. They soon reached the door to the Chemistry class.

"Ladies first," Chas held the door open as Zoey walked in.

"Thanks. And don't forget our meeting at lunch," She informed as she took her seat at the back of the room.

 _How could I?_ Chase thought longingly.

The bell rang and he took his seat in the front of the room. Chase couldn't concentrate on what the teacher was telling them. He already knew everything anyway. So, he simply took notes from the power point and let his mind wonder.

 _What will Brett, her boyfriend, think? How long is this meeting? Will she want to come over to my house? Will I go over to hers?_

Chase was so lost in thought that he almost didn't even realize when the bell had rung. He quickly packed his bag before heading out of the room. He briskly walked to my next class, Trigonometry, to avoid being late. If there was one thing that Chase hated, it was being late for anything.

* * *

The next couple classes were a blur. Zoey couldn't wait for lunch, so she could meet up with Chase. Working on a chemistry project with him was incredibly exciting. In fact, it was like a dream come true. She didn't tell this to anyone. Not even her best friend Macy. They have been friends since forever. Okay, it's only been a few years, but it feels like forever to them. Macy and Zoey were practically inseparable. They told each other everything. She was just as excited as Zoey was after Adam, Chase's older brother, had left. He had asked Zoey if she wanted to be Chase's partner for their Chemistry project. Zoey didn't know why he didn't just ask her himself, but she assumed he was just shy. She could understand that.

After her last class before lunch, she went to the spot where she and Macy usually met up. Unfortunately, Brett also met them there. He was her boyfriend, an extremely clingy boyfriend. They've been together for 2 years, but Zoey believes that their spark has died. She doesn't like him like that anymore, but she doesn't have the heart to tell him. Besides, he can be very possessive. She's a little afraid to tell him that she'll going to be spending lunch with Chase.

"Lost in thought again?" Macy asked her best friend as Zoey was brought out of her thoughts.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about Brett. How do you think he's going to react when I tell him about Chase?" She inquired. Macy offered a small smile while she thought about the question. After a minute of thinking she finally answered.

"You know how Brett can be. Sometimes he can get a bit jealous. Maybe you just shouldn't tell him," Macy answered as Zoey's gaze shifted down to her feet. It wasn't exactly the answer she was looking for.

"If I don't tell him now, it's going to be much worse later," Zoey quietly informed her. "I've been thinking, and maybe I should break up with him." Macy looked at her kindly. In these moments, Zoey was glad to have a friend like her.

"I think that would be a good idea. Plus, the spark you once had for Brett has burned out. You like Chase now, don't you?" Macy said as Zoey looked at her in surprise. She could feel herself blush a little bit. Macy giggled, noticing the blush, before explaining. "I see the way you look at him, Zoey. Your eyes light up whenever someone says his name. Besides, Brett doesn't seem like a good fit for you anymore." They shared a smile. Macy understood her perfectly.

"You're right, as always, Macy," Zoey praised as Brett walked over to the two girls. He wrapped his arm around Zoey's waist and lightly kissed her forehead. It took a lot for her not to flinch when he did this. Macy gave her friend a 'Now or Never' kind of look. She knew what she had to do, but she didn't know if she could do it.

"Ready for lunch girls?" Brett asked, but he didn't receive a reply. "What? Is it something I said?"

"No, Brett. It's not you, but I made plans for lunch. I'm supposed to meet up with someone for a project," Zoey told her boyfriend. She worried about how he would react. Macy stepped a couple feet back.

"Okay. Where are we going?" He asked. She could tell by Macy's look that he was deeply annoying her. Zoey unwrapped his arm from around her waist and moved back a bit.

" _We_ aren't going anywhere. _I_ am going to meet up with a friend," For a second she saw something that she had never seen in his eyes before. Pure anger and jealousy. But it was only for a second. His cool nature returned and he put on a smile. Zoey has known him long enough to know that this was a fake smile.

"Okay. That's alright. I'll sit with the football team today. They've been bugging me to sit with them for a while anyway," He responded before walking away. Macy stood next to the brunette and placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"I'm doing the right thing, right?" She asked Macy as she removed her hand and headed towards the cafeteria. She turned around to look at her friend one last time.

"Definitely," She confirmed before disappearing into the crowded room.

* * *

He had been waiting at Zoey's locker for a couple minutes. He was starting to lose hope that she would ever show. Just as he was about to walk to the cafeteria, he saw her turning the corner. She looked upset and lost in thought. However, when she saw him, she smiled and her mood seemed to brighten.

"Hey, Chase. I am so sorry for making you wait, but I had to take care of something. I hope you don't mind," She said to him as she opened her locker and retrieved a green notebook.

"Hey, Zoey. It's okay. I don't mind. Besides, you're here now. So, shall we start on this project?" Chase asked her while she closed her locker. She smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Why don't we head to the media center?" Zoey suggested as they began to walk in that direction.

Once they reached the media center, they picked a table in the back of the room so that they wouldn't be disturbed. Zoey placed her green notebook on the table and pulled out a matching green pen. She flipped the book open to a clean sheet of paper and wrote ' _ **Chemistry Project**_ ' as the title. Chase decided that he should do the same, so he pulled out his chemistry folder and a pencil.

The point of the project was to create and label models for the molecular structures of a gas, liquid, and a solid. After a lot of talking, the pair decided to create the molecular structure of nitrous oxide, mercury, and plastic. Zoey drew the structures in her notebook and Chase wrote down the materials needed to complete the project. In the end, they still had 30 minutes to spare.

"Why don't I go over to your house tomorrow after school so we can start the project?" Zoey asked him while they were packing up. Chase thought about this for a minute. After all, he, Adam, and Bree were bionic and Zoey couldn't find out.

' _But, she probably won't even notice anything strange.'_

"Sure. That sounds like a great idea," Chase answered. He knew he was going to regret this later, but there was no taking it back now. Zoey smiled at her partner as she placed her tote bag on her shoulder.

"Great. Let me give you my number and then you can text me your address later," Zoey insisted as Chase took his phone out of his back pack. He turned it on as they walked out of the media center and entered his password. As soon as his phone was unlocked, he handed it to her.

"Nice case," Zoey stated, admiring the royal blue phone case as she input her contact information. "Royal blue is one of my favorite colors." She smiled at Chase and her green eyes sparkled.

"Thanks," He replied while he smiled back at her. She returned the phone when she was done. They talked while they were walking to the cafeteria.

 _She actually laughed at my jokes!_

They arrived outside the cafeteria with 20 minutes to spare.

"I actually had fun. Thanks, Chase," Zoey stated kindly as she opened the door to the cafeteria. "See you around." She smiled at him before disappearing into the crowded lunch room.

"Yeah, see you around," Chase whispered, but he didn't go in after her. He remained outside where it was peaceful and quiet. Chase sat down at the round bench that was in the middle of the room. He gathered his thoughts and replayed the last 40 minutes over in his head.

 _Spending time with Zoey was a lot of fun and she actually liked hanging out with me. I can't wait until tomorrow afternoon._


	2. The Breakup

Zoey P.O.V.

Macy and I were sitting in my room doing our homework. I was sitting at my white desk working on my Spanish homework and she was laying on my bed working on her biology homework.

"Hey, what does 'Tuve el mejor tiempo la semana pasada' mean in English?" I asked Macy because she was always better at Spanish than I ever was. I think it helps that her step dad is Hispanic. Macy put down her pencil while she thought about it. A minute later, she answered my question.

"I believe it is 'I had the best time last week'," Macy translated as she picked up her pencil to continue working on her own homework.

"Yeah, thanks," I thanked my best friend as I filled in the answer. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. "Who could that be? Are you expecting anyone?"

"No. I'm not. Are you?" Macy asked as we both set our pencils down.

"I'm not expecting anyone. Maybe my dad ordered a package earlier. It's probably just the mail man," I said as we headed out of my room and down the wooden staircase. Whoever was at the door didn't stop knocking, and it was annoying me greatly. "I'm coming!" I reached the front door and looked through the peep hole. "Oh my gooseberry!"

"Gooseberry? Seriously, Zoey? Who are you?" Macy laughed at me. I looked back at her, smiled, and shrugged. "What is so _gooseberry_ anyway?" She continued to laugh while I opened the door. She silently gasped upon seeing who was now standing in front of us. "Oh my gooseberry." It was Lindsay Walker. Lindsay Walker was an old friend of ours, but we lost contact our freshman year. Ever since then, I think she grew a little jealous of how close, and I guess popular, Macy and I had become. "Hey, Lindsay!" Macy said uneasily as she backed up the stairs.

"Hey, Macy. Zoey, can we talk?" Lindsay asked tentatively. I looked at my best friend and silently begged her not to go. She shook her head slightly before running up the stairs.

"Hey, Lindsay. Of course we can talk," I said as I led her to the family room. We sat down on the couch before continuing our conversation. "What did you want to talk about?" I leaned back on the couch and wondered why _Lindsey Walker_ had come to my house to see me.

"I have a confession to make," Lindsay said as she wrung her hands. She looked extremely nervous.

"What is it?" I sat up straight. I was starting to get a little worried. Lindsay was hardly ever this serious. She actually started to cry a bit.

"It happened at lunch today. Zoey, I'm so sorry," Lindsay said in between sobs. I quickly got up from the couch and retrieved a tissue box. I handed it to her before sitting back down.

"What happened at lunch? Why are you sorry?" I quizzed Lindsay. I was really worried now. Lindsay didn't answer. She sat next to me crying and using the tissues to wipe away her tears. "Lindsay, please tell me what's going on." I placed my hands on her shoulders and gently shook her until she looked at me.

"Okay, I'll tell you. Please don't be upset with me!" Lindsay begged as she used her last tissue. "Brett was upset that you ditched him at lunch. So, he asked me for a little help." She started to cry again. I got up and got a new box of tissues. Before I sat down, I gathered up all of the used tissues and threw them out.

"What kind of help did he ask for?" I sat down on the couch once more. She looked at me with sad and puffy eyes. Her cheeks were stained with tears. "Lindsay?" I was growing tired of this.

"He asked me to help him with something at his locker. When we got there he pushed me up against the lockers and kissed me. At first I didn't do anything, but after a moment I pushed him away. He got angry, so I ran away. I've been feeling so guilty since then. I just had to come and tell you," Lindsay confessed as she covered her face with her hands. I was shocked. That wasn't what I was expecting to hear.

"What?" I didn't want to believe it. Yeah, I wanted to break up with Brett, but I never thought it would be because he cheated on me! I have to talk to him. "Okay. Um, you go upstairs and just chill out. Macy is up there already." I helped Lindsay off the couch and we headed towards the base of the stairs. "It's the door at the end of the hall." Lindsay thanked me before heading up the stairs to meet Macy in my room. Brett lived a few minutes away from my house, so I grabbed my purple leather jacket and left.

Once I reached Brett's house, I was extremely nervous. I had thought a lot about what I was going to say on the way over, but I wasn't 100% positive. I knocked on the front door, hesitantly. The door opened and Brett's older brother, Trent, was now standing in front of me.

"What do you want, ballerina?" Trent asked while I walked inside. I rolled by eyes. Trent was the biggest doofus and bully I had ever met. And as it turns out, his younger brother was no different. He has been calling me ballerina since I started dating Brett. I met them at one of my ballet recitals. They were there for their sister.

"Hey, Trent," I said dully. I just wanted to get this meeting out of the way. "Is Brett here? I need to talk to him." Trent walked into the next room. He sat down on the couch and continued to watch a football game.

"Brett isn't here. He went out earlier, but he should be back soon. You're welcome to wait around for him, ballerina," Trent said as he grabbed a big bowl of popcorn from off of the coffee table.

"You know that's not offensive, right?" I asked him while I looked at all of the pictures in the room. I smiled as my eyes landed on a picture of me and Brett when we first started dating. My smile grew slightly as I recalled the memory. The beginning of our relationship was the happiest part of it.

"You know I don't care, right?" Trent countered as he shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

I don't know how long I was looking at the picture, but when I snapped back to reality, Brett was standing behind me.

"I remember that day like it was yesterday," Brett said longingly as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I squirmed out of his grasp before crossing my own arms.

"Well, it wasn't yesterday. It was two years ago," I replied angrily.

"What's wrong, Zoey?" He asked me while pretending to be innocent.

"I need to talk to you. In private. It's important," I was fed up with waiting. I grabbed his arm and dragged him to his room. I shut the door behind me and sat on his bed.

"Okay. What is so important?" Brett asked a little more seriously.

"I want to break up with you," I stated while he looked a little surprised. "Don't look so surprised, Brett. You know what you did!"

"What did I do?" Brett asked. He was still acting like he was innocent. Like he hadn't done anything wrong. It was frustrating.

"You know exactly what you did! And you're little _kissing buddy_ isn't so great at keeping secrets," I informed as a couple angry tears escaped from my eyes. Brett looked extremely angry himself when I mentioned this. I backed away a little bit. I was kind of afraid of what he was going to do next.

"I knew she wouldn't be able to keep quiet!" He muttered angrily to himself.

"So you admit it? You did kiss her!" I yelled as I pointed an accusing finger at him. He angrily threw some pillows on the floor.

"Fine! Okay, I kissed her," Brett admitted. "But it was only because you went off with that Chase guy!"

"I went the media center to work on a chemistry project with my partner who happened to be a guy! There is no way you are going to pin this on me!" I yelled defensively at him.

"Will you two just shut up?! I'm trying to watch the game!" Trent yelled at us from the family room. I rolled my eyes. _They are just a couple of jerks._

"We are breaking up, and that is the end of it," I said while I tried to calm down. I got up off the bed and headed towards the door. I was about to walk out when Brett decided to say something.

"Fine, but you will regret your decision. You'll see," Brett informed as he sat on his bed. I highly doubted that I would ever regret this decision, but I didn't say anything else. I left Brett sitting alone in his room and walked back home.


	3. Study Date

Zoey was standing in front of the Davenport's house. It was finally time for her meeting with Chase. She was extremely nervous; she really did like Chase. Plus, she had broken up with Brett yesterday, so she was free to hang out with Chase more now. Without anyone bugging her about it. She slowly knocked on the door. She waited for a few minutes before anyone actually answered.

"Hey, Zoey," Adam greeted while holding a bowl of chips. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Adam. I'm actually here to see Chase. We're supposed to work on our project today," Zoey informed as he stepped aside so she could enter. "Is he here? I know I'm a little early."

"Uh... why don't I go check for you." Adam set his chips gently down on the coffee table before running off down one of the many halls. Zoey heard him yelling Chase's name as he ran around the house. She took off her black paint splattered backpack and set it down next to the couch before sitting down. Zoey looked around in awe. They had a great house with a magnificent view. She guessed that being a billionaire really paid off.

She felt as though she had been waiting for hours before Chase actually showed up. It probably had been hours. She was thinking of leaving when Chase ran into the room; she had almost fallen asleep.

"Hey, Zoey. Nice to see you," Chase greeted. He seemed out of breath. She got up off the couch and took a few steps towards him.

"Hey, Chase. Where have you been... for the past 2 hours?" Zoey asked him as she checked the time on her phone. She tried to act like it wasn't a big deal, but she was probably failing. "Wait, do you smell that?" She sniffed the air. It smelled a lot like... smoke.

"Smell what? I don't smell anything," Chase replied unconvincingly.

"Chase, why do you smell like smoke? Was there a fire? Is everyone okay?" Zoey started to panic; she was easily worried.

"No! No! No! There was no fire! It was... a barbecue accident?" Chase said uneasily. Zoey looked at him in confusion.

"Barbecue accident?" She asked while he nodded. "Okay. Are you telling me that there was a barbecue accident or are you asking me?"

"Telling you," Chase stated a little firmer than before. Zoey still wasn't entirely convinced, but she decided to just forget about it… for now.

"Anyway, I've been here for 2 hours already. My dad is going to be calling me in 3 hours. So, I have to leave about half an hour before," She informed Chase while checking her phone. Her phone calls with her dad were the most important thing to her. Yeah, she liked Chase and all, but she could always see him later.

"Okay, well, then we should get started," Chase instructed as they sat down in front of the coffee table.

"You have the supplies, right?" Zoey questioned while she removed paint, paint brushes, and glue from her backpack. Chase nodded while he retrieved different sized Styrofoam balls and wooden dowels. Zoey painted the Styrofoam balls assorted colors while Chase assembled the molecular structures that they needed. During the process, she took multiple pictures and many detailed notes. She really wanted to do well on this project. Not because she needed the grade, and she knew that Chase didn't either. She wanted to do well because if this went well, then maybe she and Chase could hang out more often. The pair didn't just work though. They also laughed a lot and had plenty of fun together. Soon, their time was up, and Zoey had to go.

"And this piece can go here," Chase exclaimed happily as he glued the green Styrofoam ball onto the dowel.

Zoey smiled; she was glad that Chase was having so much fun. She didn't really want to leave just yet, but she knew that she had. She wanted to talk to her dad, and she knew that he wouldn't be too happy if she missed the call. "Hey, Chase. I have actually need to go now. How about we finish this at a later time?" She suggested while she gathered up her stuff. She had somehow managed to get paint all over herself. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

"Wait. I'll walk you home," Chase offered eagerly as he too got up.

"Chase, you don't have to do that."

"I want to," He responded as she smiled at him. "Come on. Let's go."

They left his house and headed for hers. While they walked, they talked as well. She actually found his jokes to be funny, unlike Brett's. And he understood science. That was a huge relief for her. She already knew that he was a mega nerd, in a cute way, but their conversation only confirmed it. After a relatively long walk, the pair arrived at Zoey's house with a few minutes to spare.

"You know, Chase, you really didn't have to walk me home," She said while digging around her bag to find her keys. "But, thanks anyway. I had fun hanging out with you today."

"Believe me, it was no problem. Besides, I enjoyed it," Chase replied. He started to leave, but Zoey stopped him.

"Chase. I have to ask you something," She hesitated; she didn't know whether she should continue or not.

"What is it?" He asked her curiously as he stopped walking. Zoey took a minute to gather up as much courage as she could.

"Would you maybe, I don't know, like to hang out sometime? For non-academic reasons," she waited for his answer while she twisted the strap of her bag in her hands. She was afraid. Afraid of being rejected. What if he didn't like her in that way? What if he just wanted to be friends?

"Like a date?"

"Yeah. Like a date."

"I would thoroughly enjoy that," Chase answered with a smile. He tried to play it off coolly, but it didn't exactly work. Zoey didn't mind though; she liked his nerdy charm.

"Well, I'll see you later then."

They waved goodbye to each other before Zoey unlocked her front door and went inside. She closed and locked the door behind her. She leaned against it and then slid down to the floor. She giggled to herself as she thought back on the evening. She could tell that this relationship was going to be much better than her last one.


	4. The Call

Zoey had been sitting by the door for a while. She lost track of time; she was daydreaming. She had even forgotten that her dad was going to call. She heard the phone start to ring; she raced up the stairs and down the hall to her room to answer it. She picked up her bubble gum pink house phone and answered the call before it could go to voicemail.

"Hello, this is Zoey Graham. How can I help you?" She asked politely. What can she say? Her mother raised her well.

"Zo, I'm surprised that you forgot! You've been looking forward to this call all week!" Her father exclaimed in disbelief as she gasped.

"Daddy! I am so sorry I forgot! I got home not too long ago from a friend's house. We were working on a project together," Zoey explained as she sat on her bed.

"It's okay, Zo. I was just a little surprised that's all. So, what else is new?" he questioned curiously. She thought about what she wanted to tell him.

"Well, I broke up with Brett yesterday," she informed while she fiddled with the cord of the phone.

"What? You guys have been together for like two years! What happened?" her dad sounded concerned. He always did like Brett. Mainly because he had someone to talk about football with.

"For starters, the spark died. I just don't feel the same about him anymore. Plus, he kissed another girl when I didn't eat lunch with him. Besides, I like someone else now." Zoey could hear noises coming from her father's end of the call. "Hey what's going on over there? What is all that noise?" Her father cleared his throat dismissively.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Zo. Just forget about it." He skirted the question. She always hated when he did that. "So, what did you do to upset Brett? And who is this new someone?"

"I didn't do anything to upset Brett!" Zoey yelled defensively. "I told him that I was going to be working on a science project with someone named Chase during lunch and he went off and kissed Lindsay!"

"Ah-huh. So, this new somebody that you like, it's Charlie. Isn't it? Wait, Lindsay? As in Lindsay Walker?"

Zoey couldn't lie, her dad was incredibly smart. She got some of her smarts from him, or so he says.

"Yes, Dad. It was Lindsay Walker; my old friend. And his name is Chase," she confirmed his suspicions as he sighed.

"I'm guessing Lindsay told you about Brett." She stayed silent. It was usually her way of confirming something without actually saying anything. "Does this Chad kid at least like football?"

"Again, his name is Chase, and I doubt it. He's more of a science nerd. A cute science nerd," Zoey said dreamily.

"TMI, Zo. TMI," he faked a gag and they shared a laugh.

"I wish Mom were here. You're great and all Dad, but I need someone to talk to about this stuff."

"I know, Zo. I miss her too. But, um, there is actually something that we need to talk about. Something really important." His tone became serious.

"What is it? What's wrong?" It was Zoey's turn to sound concerned. Her father was a serious guy, but he was hardly ever serious around her. She was the only exception.

"I'm not gonna be home at the expected time." He sounded upset, but there was a hint of excitement. She started to think that he believed he was going to get that promotion that he had been wanting for a while now.

"When will you be home?" Zoey inquired. Although, she already knew that it wasn't going to be anytime soon.

"I'm afraid it won't be in time for your birthday," he responded sadly. That's when it hit her. She had totally forgotten about her birthday. It was less than a month away.

"But, you never miss my birthday," Zoey complained as she fell backwards onto her bed. Her father sighed again,

"I know, Zo. I know. But my boss wants me working on this for the next few weeks. No exceptions. I'll make it up to you," he promised. She felt some of her happiness returning. Whenever he had to make it up to her, he always went all out. Once, he had forgotten to get her a birthday present. So, he made it up to her by taking her, Macy, and Lindsay on a road trip around the country. It was amazing.

"I'm going to hold you to that," She joked as he laughed. She always enjoyed hearing him laugh.

"I hope you do," her dad commented. "By the way, there is something else."

"What? What is it now?" Zoey was extremely curious; she was told that she got it from her mother.

"There are new neighbors moving in down the road," he began as she let out a groan. She knew exactly what he was going to say next. She didn't even try to hide her annoyance. "I have already talked to them, and they have agreed to let you stay there while I'm away."

"Why can't I stay with Macy?! Besides, I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself!" She argued as she quickly sat up. She didn't want to get dumped on the neighbor's door step again.

"I know that you aren't a child, but you aren't 18 either. You aren't old enough to legally be on your own for this long. And I want you to stay close to the house, just in case. They have a son about your age. He will be going to the same school as you. You can become his friend and show him around," her dad suggested. It wasn't a terrible idea, but she still didn't like it.

"Fine. But only because I know that I can't get out of this," she agreed as he chuckled. "Just so you know, I'll be expecting an even bigger surprise for this." In all truth, she didn't care about the stupid surprise. She just wanted her dad to come back home. And stay home.

"I love you too. I'll see you when I get back."

"Alright, Dad. I love you. Stay safe."

"You know I will, Zo. Good luck with this Chris guy." With that, he hung up.

"It's Chase," she added, but it didn't matter; the call had already ended. She loved talking with her dad, but every time he hung up, it felt like she was being abandoned. She felt the same way when he left. He would always tell her that he would be gone for a week or two tops. Then, he would call and tell her that he would have to stay where ever he was for even longer. She always worried that she would never see her dad again because of what happened with her mom. When she was younger, her mom had left her home alone. She had said that she would only be gone for a little while. She was only running to the office to get some paperwork. The next thing she knew, the police were at her door saying that her mom had been in an accident, and she didn't make it.

It was normal for her to get dumped at a neighbor's house. Usually for months. That's how she met Macy. She had been the new kid in town and had to stay at the other girl's house for a while. They became good friends. Best friends. Lindsay had lived a few houses down. They would all hang out together. But, her father insisted that they moved to a different neighborhood. One that was closer to the school, so her walk was shorter. She really missed those days with Macy and Lindsay. Everything was simpler then. Why couldn't it be like that now?


	5. Author's Apology

Hello guys and gals! I am so so so so sorry for all the waiting. I was working on the next chapters for my stories and then my computer literally died on me. It wouldn't turn back on or anything. I tried to fix it. My dad tried to fix it. My cousin tried to fix it. Nothing worked. I had to get a new computer. I lost everything that was on my old computer. And when I say everything I mean EVERYTHING. The only things that I didn't lose were anything that was saved to OneDrive or the the Cloud or linked to my iTunes account. Meaning almost all of my old chapters, except maybe one or two from a couple stories, and all of my new chapters.

And now, Microsoft Word is giving me issues, so I'm writing this on the website in the copy-n-paste section. Again, I am so so sorry. Please be patient while I try to fix these issues. I will continue all of my stories, but until I get Word working, or find an alternative, I won't be able to upload anything. Unfortunately, this is just a temporary solution.

Thank you all for being so patient. Hopefully I will be able to resolve this issue soon.

-Miss FairyTales


	6. No Means No

Chase was ecstatic that Zoey had asked him to hang out outside of school. And for nonacademic reasons. No girl had ever showed interest in him before. Well, not this kind of interest. They were either asking him for answers to the homework or completely ignoring him. He walked back home with a smile on his face. It didn't fade until he got home, when he came face to face with Mr. Davenport. He didn't look very happy. Chase couldn't imagine why.

"What's up Mr. Davenport. Is something wrong?" Chase asked him. The other man was sitting on the couch and staring at his chemistry project. He had his arms crossed. That was never a good sign.

"Yes, Chase. There is something wrong. Eddie has just informed me that one of your friends was alone in this house for 3 hours. Is that true?" Mr. Davenport asked as Tasha entered the room.

"Technically yes, but nothing happened. She stayed in this room the whole time," Chase explained while Mr. Davenport stood up.

"That's not the point, Chase!" Mr. Davenport yelled angrily.

"What is going on here?" Tasha inquired as she walked over to him and looped her arm through her husband's.

"Chase brought a girl over to the house while he was on a mission, and without asking permission," Mr. Davenport stated.

"Chase brought a girl over! Who is she? What does she look like? Is she pretty?" Tasha was practically jumping with excitement. Chase smiled. At least _someone_ was happy for him.

"Well, she..." he began.

"Again, that's not the point," Mr. Davenport interrupted.

Chase rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, but it's not every day that Chase brings a girl over," Tasha apologized, but she was still bouncing and had a huge smile on her face.

"Thanks, Tasha," Chase praised before he turned back to Mr. Davenport. "So, Mr. Davenport, what _is_ the point?" He crossed his arms; now he was angry as well.

"The point, Chase, is that she could have found the lab at any time within those 3 hours. She could have wandered around the house because she was left alone. She may not have done so this time, but who is to say she won't do it next time? We got lucky. This can't happen again, Chase."

He understood what Mr. Davenport was saying. He really did, but he also thought that he was overacting a little bit. "She's not like that, Mr. Davenport. Besides, even if she did find out, she wouldn't tell anyone."

"You don't know that for certain." Mr. Davenport sighed. "I don't want you to hang out with her anymore."

"Wait. What did you just say?" Chase thought he had heard wrong. He really didn't want to believe what he heard was what had actually come out of Mr. Davenport's mouth.

"You heard me, Chase. I don't want you to see this girl anymore. We have to protect our secret. I have to protect you, Adam, and Bree," Mr. Davenport said as he started walking away.

"You can't keep me from seeing her, Mr. Davenport. I can keep our secret and hang out with her at the same time!" Chase yelled at him. He was being unreasonable.

"We don't know anything about her, Chase. We don't know who she is or why she is so interested in you! Maybe she already knows that you're bionic. Maybe she's just trying to get close to you so she can lure you into a trap! We don't know!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed.

"Because that's the only reason why someone would want to hang out with me? I already told you, she's not like that." Chase was hurt. His so-called father thought that the only reason someone would want to get close to him was because they wanted to expose him and their family. Wow, he hadn't been expecting that.

Mr. Davenport didn't respond.

Tasha came over and gave him a hug.

"Of course, we don't think that. Right, Donald?" They both looked at Mr. Davenport. He stayed silent. "Donald?" He still didn't answer as he began to leave. "Donald! Where are you going?!"

"No means no, Chase. Everyone needs to make sacrifices. You just have to deal with that," He said over his shoulder. Then, Mr. Davenport left the room.

"Don't worry, Chase. I'll talk to him. Everything will be fine," Tasha called back as she ran after her husband.

Chase hoped that she was right. He really liked Zoey and it felt like it could be the start of something new. The start of something great. And Mr. Davenport was set on destroying it. Chase didn't know what to do. So, he sat on the couch and wondered what his next move should be.

Perhaps staying away from Zoey outside of school was best. Mr. Davenport made sure that he always had his way. Chase didn't want to drag her into any of this. Into any of their family drama. He pulled out his phone so he could text her. He smiled as he remembered how much she had liked his case. He wondered how she would take the news. Would she be just as upset as he was? More upset? Would she be happy about it? Relieved? Would she even care?

 _ **C**_ _ **hase: Hey, Zoey.**_  
 _ **Zoey: Hey, Chase. What's up?**_  
 _ **Chase: I think we should talk about tonight.**_  
 _ **Zoey: I had a lot of fun. I can't wait to do it again.**_  
 _ **Chase: Yeah, but...**_  
 _ **Zoey: But what, Chase?**_

He sighed. He couldn't tell her that his father didn't want him to hang out with her anymore. Maybe, he just wouldn't tell her. And he wouldn't tell Mr. Davenport.

 _ **Zoey: Chase? Is everything alright?**_  
 _ **Chase: Yeah. We just can't hang out at my house anymore.**_  
 _ **Zoey: How come?**_  
 _ **Chase: Because... some relatives are coming to stay, and I don't know when they are leaving.**_

That sounded believable. Right?

 _ **Zoey: Okay... Well, we can work at my house for now.**_  
 _ **Chase: That sounds great. Can't wait.**_  
 _ **Zoey: Alright. See you at school tomorrow.**_  
 _ **Chase: Yeah, see you.**_

Mr. Davenport didn't need to know about this. Chase didn't know what he was so worried about anyways. Zoey was harmless. He was sure of it.

* * *

 **Hey guys and gals! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry I haven't updated in while. I've been super busy with school. Anyway, thanks to everyone who Favorited, Followed, or Reviewed. Thanks for simply reading. I really appreciate it. Let me know what you all think. Or if you just wanna chat, I'm here.**


	7. Author's Note (yes another one)

Hello guys and gals!

Okay, I just wanted to start off by saying that this is a general announcement and will be uploaded to all my in-progress stories. (also, i tend to get off topic because I love talking to you guys, so I apologize in advance. also, also, it's reaalllyyyy long because I really want you guys to know and understand what's going on. I apologize again) Now, on to the announcement...

Let me say this loud and clear: I AM NOT GIVING UP ON ANY OF MY STORIES! (on here or Wattpad, if you follow me there too)

I realize that it's been a while since I updated them, some longer than others, but I'm not giving up or discontinuing any of them. It may take a while for an update (and possibly future updates) to my stories to be released. Thank you all for your patience. It means a lot that you are all sticking with me even though I'm literally the worst ever. However, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to keep waiting.

Since we're coming to the end of the school year, I've got finals. This week is a super testing week at my school, meaning that all classes are canceled because there are AP/AICE/FSA tests all week. (AICE is a Florida program, kinda like an AP class. And the FSA is the standardized testing that everyone in Florida, from like elementary or middle school to 10th grade, has to take). So, yeah. Next week I have two more tests which I have to miss class for, and then it's business as usual until like three weeks when there's another super testing week for the finals of regular classes (not AP/AICE classes). That's the last week of school.

Between studying for my finals, studying for regular tests, homework, projects, volunteering, sleeping (which is apparently really important. who knew?), and Netflix/youtube (I know it doesn't sound important and it's honestly such a waste of my time, but I need a good amount of time to just unwind), I haven't had much time to update any of my stories. Also, I have a life. It may be incredibly small and not that exciting, but I still have it.

*Side note, Endgame ripped my heart to shreds but was amazingggggg. I was crying for like all three hours. If I wasn't crying, then I was cheering. I'm pretty sure I annoyed the guy sitting next to me. That ending literally killed me. I was sobbing (ugly crying) in the theater. And that women of Marvel scene was EVERYTHING. (I don't know if this technically a spoiler or not) if you don't know, that mystery guy at... the sad event... was the kid from Iron Man 3 (potato gun kid). Yeah. My shredded heart was ripped further into microscopic pieces. Marvel really came for me with that movie. Even though the spoiler ban that the Russo brothers had set has technically been lifted, #dontspoiltheendgame. People at my school were terrible with this once Endgame came out. Some girl even went as far as writing it on every bathroom stall. Another kid made the ending his Kahoot username, and spoiled it for everyone in his class that hadn't seen it. Someone spoiled part of the end for me and other people I know, and it seriously sucks when that happens and it is no where near funny. So be a decent human being and don't spoil things for others. Okay, mini rant over.*

On top of all that, I have been in a creative rut and my mental health hasn't been that great lately. I just need some time to focus on me and what's left of my school year so I don't end with a anything lower than a B (*cough* math *cough*). I have been writing, but nothing that I've already uploaded. And usually when I go to write, I'm either very unhappy with it, or I just read through what I already wrote and then lose the motivation to continue.

And during the summer I probably won't have that much time to write and upload either. I plan on going to a college program for a couple weeks. Also, I'll have summer assignments for my classes next year. I hope to visit my friend in Georgia. I'll probably be taking an online course (hopefully, because I need to graduate). And I still have to get my driver's license which is like six months overdue.

**Another side note, college is like just around the corner for me and it's seriously stressing me out because I don't think I'm going to get in. But everyone is telling me I'll be fine because my sister got accepted into a good college and I'm apparently smarter than her but I don't believe them? and even if i do get in, i'll be alone and away from my parents, for more than three weeks, which is the longest i've ever been separated from them, I don't know how I'll cope? So, also dealing with that and the thought that I'll never amount to anything. Fun.**

Anyway... If you see me uploading or updating a different/new story and not the one that you are following or waiting for, please don't be upset. It just means that I was inspired to work on something else and haven't gotten to the one your waiting for because I don't want to write something bad and rush to get it out. Because no one wants that.

I'm planning on uploading some Glee fan fiction because I have been super obsessed with it lately. Like, it's kind of all I've been watching and I've seen every season like ten times. Yet somehow when I watch it, i see something new (more like I forgot). But like get this, when the last season came out (I don't remember when but it was like 2 years ago) I watched everything except the last two episodes. I had no idea I hadn't watched them until recently. Anyway, off topic again. If you'd like to see Glee fan fiction, stay tuned for that.

***Yes, another one. My friend and I just started watching The 100 and it's actually pretty good, not gonna lie. But don't expect any fan fiction from me. Cuz there won't be any. Also, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists is really good. I haven't seen any of the newer episodes, but I really like it. Ava is such a queen, try to convince me otherwise, I dare you. Also, also, the new season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres this Friday and I am soooo here for it. And I can't wait until the new seasons of the Flash and Supergirl are on Netflix. And before I end this, Spider-Man Far From Home is literally going to kill me, but I'm really excited. Also excited for Descendants 3! Anyone getting Disney+ in the fall? I'm not but my friend is, so I'll definitely be over at his house more often.***

You guys have no idea how much I hate writing these apologies, but I have no choice as fan fiction isn't my main priority. It's honestly not very high up on the list. This was supposed to just be for fun and to share my stories and ideas. I never dreamed that I would get so many followers or so many people would like my stories. It's surreal.

But I can't work nonstop on these stories, please understand that. I wish I could but I do have other things going on. I will update whenever I can.

That is all I have to say. Please PM me if you want to talk, or have any questions or ideas. If you have any story requests or any thing you want to collab on (no promises) let me know as well. I may not be that active upload wise, but I should answer you within a day or so.

Love, Miss FairyTales

****That was way too long.


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